his post gives 5 practical tips that will help you to find your audience online and give you a competitive edge.
Category: Resources
How to build back better with Marketing
After any period of disruption a business has a chance to build back better with Marketing. From 29th March 2021 onwards, lockdown restrictions began to relax in England. Therefore, it is an ideal time to reflect on this topic – How to build back better through marketing activities.In December 2020 Dr Mark Carney gave his… Continue reading How to build back better with Marketing
Grab attention by knowing how to be visible online
business owners need to stay updated on the latest ways to know how to be visible online. This post gives 4 tips and tricks that will help you to stand out from your competitors
How to plan ahead for growth
You can use a Strategic Marketing Plan to plan ahead for growth. When you can follow a Marketing plan confidently, you might enjoy a business that will flourish all year. You can do this by applying a few principles, borrowed from gardening, to the implementation of your strategic marketing plan. Principles borrowed from gardening to… Continue reading How to plan ahead for growth
How to make connections in business to drive growth
7 practical tips on how to make business connections that will help your business to grow.
Be certain of your true goal
Every business-owner needs to be certain of their goal. We hear a lot about the importance of goal-setting in business and in life. Have you paused recently to check that you’re sure that you’ve identified your long-term marketing objective correctly? And that you’re genuinely progressing towards it? Recently, I was reminded of the importance of… Continue reading Be certain of your true goal
How to prepare for the future of content creation
This post describes the implications for the future of content creation in the light of the growth of speech-led platforms such as Clubhouse.
How to use desk research to improve your marketing
“Marketers need to know how to use desk research. It is a valuable part of being informed but are you doing your research properly? If not, how can you form a coherent long-term strategy?” Jean Sutton, Course Director (CIM) You need to remember that all small business owners are their own marketers. Whenever disruption keeps… Continue reading How to use desk research to improve your marketing
Have you checked how to describe your audience recently? Springtime is ideal for this task.
A guide to how to describe your audience for business growth
How to promote your message online
In today’s digital world, it is essential for any business large or small to know how to promote your message online. Whenever you update your marketing information system by researching your market’s current conditions. You may have completed the process which permits you to polish your message. If so, it’s now time for you to… Continue reading How to promote your message online
How to check that your Marketing message is right
Whenever you revisit your Marketing Planning process, you’ll need to check that your Marketing message is right. Once you have completed a refreshed Audit of your marketplace if so, You will be ready to check that your your Marketing message is right. By now, you should have a clear idea of the problem that your… Continue reading How to check that your Marketing message is right
Lisa’s planningprocess infographic
Follow the sequence of steps each time you revisit your Marketing Audit: customer-centric strategic planning begins with an audit of the current market conditions.
Lisa’s planningprocess infographic
Follow the sequence of steps each time you revisit your Marketing Audit: strategic planning begins with an audit of the current market conditions.
How to begin a successful business recovery
Whenever a business needs to focus upon its need for recovery it is helpful to focus on a time-frame that’s dictated by your business-planning calendar. A new year or quarter should bring new opportunities and fresh energy for you to develop your business for recovery throughout the next period. Following any period of business disruption,… Continue reading How to begin a successful business recovery
When is price-cutting good for your business?
Price-cutting has become a seasonal tradition. This blogpost examines its drawbacks and explains when price-cutting can be good for your business. It has become traditional for firms to join the frenzy of price-cutting in November and December called Black Friday and Cyber Week/Month. I shared my fears about how it can damage the direction of… Continue reading When is price-cutting good for your business?
How to take control of your business for a successful year
This post explains the importance of embedding a control system into your busines s,so that you can use a Strategic Marketing Plan to enable you to know How to take control of your business. It uses an analogy with weeds to illustrate the point creatively.
How to be authentic in a virtual world
This post gives tips to help brands to know, “how to be authentic in a virtual, distanced marketplace
What is a marketing orientation?
This post will give you a guide to a marketing orientation and what this might mean for your business, with some tips and action-points for what you can do immediately and when you’re planning for next year. I was shocked in November 2021, when I read about the difficulties at Tesco with respect to their… Continue reading What is a marketing orientation?
How to approach business transformation
Any firm that keeps close to its market will always be in the process of business transformation. A caterpillar wraps itself in a chrysalis inside a cocoon to become a butterfly. The purpose of this blogpost is to give you my thoughts on how you might like to approach a period of business disruption. Most… Continue reading How to approach business transformation
What is CRM for sole traders?
CRM for sole traders does not need to be complicated. CRM is a buzz term, you may have heard Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a process that’s used by a company to monitor and analyse its interactions with its past, current and potential customers. The objective is to maximise customer satisfaction and the firm’s profitability.A… Continue reading What is CRM for sole traders?
How to protect your business
When “the only thing that is constant is change” (Heraclitus ) you must know how to protect your business so that you can avoid extra disruptions, when trading conditions are turbulent. When you put protection in place, you will need to consider your business from several angles: its customers, its finances and your legal responsibilities.… Continue reading How to protect your business
How to identify new leads
Once you know how to identify new leads, your sales funnel will always be full and you will have a consistent flow of new business to develop. I chose a snowdrop to represent this activity because they are associated with the first sign of Spring each year. Most snowdrops appear in UK January-March they show… Continue reading How to identify new leads
Marketing tips for surviving winter
Trading conditions in winter are often difficult, or quieter than usual. Many small businesses need Marketing tips for surviving winter. I can reassure you, if you have a strong grip on your Marketing processes there will be actions which you can take immediately to mitigate the challenging times you face in winter. These marketing tips … Continue reading Marketing tips for surviving winter
How to measure success to thrive
If you measure success correctly it will deliver even more success.Marketing Success is all about control, as I explained in my Marketing Mantra last year, catch up HERE I’ve chosen to illustrate the topic of how to measure success with a night heron. Birds which have been re-introduced to breed in a conservation region close… Continue reading How to measure success to thrive
Where should I sell?
The meaning of Place in Marketing Where should I sell? This question concerns more than the physical location of your business. Place is the final tactic for you to deploy speedily in the series of 4 main P’s in the Marketing Mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion). Place in Marketing theory is also called Distribution. The… Continue reading Where should I sell?
Communicate widely to maximise success
When you communicate with your customers it can help you if you communicate widely too attract your target. You may be familiar with the advice to grow wildflower meadows to attract pollinators/ bees to your garden, hence my choice of image for this mantra, a wildflower meadow. In the same way that wildflower meadows can… Continue reading Communicate widely to maximise success
How do you put a price on your services?
Knowing how to put a fair price on your services is a key step for you to master early in your journey towards being a successful, marketing-led business owner. You may recall that the goal of pure marketing is for you: “to satisfy customer needs profitably”. There may be a place for free options such… Continue reading How do you put a price on your services?
Would you like to know how to get press coverage to deliver your goals?
Knowing how to get press coverage in the local and national press is an important tool in the marketing arsenal for any small business owner, at any time it can be particularly useful when times are tough This topic follows my earlier insight into using twitter to make big announcements post-disruption. You can remind yourself… Continue reading Would you like to know how to get press coverage to deliver your goals?
How to get more followers on twitter
Twitter is an extremely useful broadcast medium, which is free. Knowing how to get more followers on twitter will enable you to build an audience. So that when you have important news to share with your clients or potential customers, you will have a ready-made following to receive your news. Many small businesses will emerge… Continue reading How to get more followers on twitter
How to adapt tactics to stay relevant to your customers
“Our abilities to adapt, innovate, and learn will be a key factors in resilience and recovery.” Rohit Talwar and J Walker Smith , 17 Aug 2020 (Kantar Futureproof podcasts available on spotify) Here, I focus on how to adapt tactics following any type of market disruption. Many small business owners are wondering how to adapt… Continue reading How to adapt tactics to stay relevant to your customers
How to promote your brand’s story
Nowadays knowing how to promote your brand’s story should be at the heart of your Marketing Communications activities. Telling your brand’s story can be an extremely powerful and cost-effective method to promote your business, build awareness of it, and attract the right customers. There are many opportunities for you to tell your brand’s story, I… Continue reading How to promote your brand’s story
How to develop a brand identity
It is important for every sole proprietor to understand how to develop a brand identity and maintain it at times of disruption. The latest McKinsey research has shown that during the COVID-19 crisis consumers became less loyal, and increasingly tried new retailers and new brands. As the loyalty dynamics of the retail sector shift, it is… Continue reading How to develop a brand identity
Strategies to maximise your competitive advantage in tough times
A cactus has developed its competitive advantage, in order to grow tall and strong in an arid desert. Its lack of water is akin to the possibility of no customers, in tough trading conditions. So, how does a cactus survive without this basic necessity? It deploys two strategic methods from which we can learn: Survival… Continue reading Strategies to maximise your competitive advantage in tough times
7 truths about how advertising works
Learn the truth about advertising how advertising works Advertising is an important element in every Marketing Plan. However, not many small business owners are unfamiliar with how advertising works I will share with you some insight by shedding light on seven widely held assumptions. I will address each of these statements with a rebuttal, which… Continue reading 7 truths about how advertising works
How to get value from your content
You might notice during a period of disruption in business that you have plenty of content on your website or on your shelves. As business begins to recover, it will be important for your productivity to capitalise on the value that lies within your content, and recognise how it can benefit your customers. Instead of… Continue reading How to get value from your content
How to prepare your business to pivot
Whenever there is disruption in your marketplace, or your personal life; it is important that you’re ready to pivot.It’s good for your business resilience to have some preparation in place so that you’re able to adapt whenever there’s a significant change in your personal circumstances or in your marketplace. This type of alteration is called… Continue reading How to prepare your business to pivot
9 things you need to know about niche marketing
As a small business owner you’ll hear many remarks about others having a preference for niche marketing, but is it right for yours, or not? Find out with my checklist 9 things you should know about niche marketing”. You should keep these in mind to ensure that you remain strong and don’t become vulnerable to… Continue reading 9 things you need to know about niche marketing
How to drive traffic to your website
Whenever you’ve spent time or money on your website. It’s important that you know how to drive traffic to your website, so that you can attract new customers to your business. This activity doesn’t require lots of technological or digital skills. It is a type of pure marketing which I seek to enable you to… Continue reading How to drive traffic to your website
Social media offer
Exclusive offer for Mailing list subscribers who require assistance with developing a social media plan to drive traffic to their website. I will conduct a half – hour consultation with you, viaZoom or telephone to coveryour objective for your website promotionyour target audienceI will deliver a written plan to you for you to implement£40 with… Continue reading Social media offer
What is social listening?
While chatting with friends and clients about my main business service, I’ve often been asked “What is social listening and how can it assist me with marketing my business?” Social listening is the action of paying attention to your current and potential customers across social media platforms with the purpose of generating new leads. I’ve… Continue reading What is social listening?
How to find your perfect customer after disruption
Perfect customer Introduction Finding your perfect customer is critical to effective Marketing. At all times. As the COVID-19 lockdown continues, I hope that you’re finding this series of business resilience blogs helpful for navigating your business through and nearly out of the disruption. This is the ninth week in the Business Resilience series. New subscribers… Continue reading How to find your perfect customer after disruption
Prepare for long-term growth after disruption
This week’s theme is: Prepare your business for its long-term success. There is a flippant saying in Marketing Strategy circles: “You can only get to enjoy the long-term by getting through the short-term first”. Recently, I expect that you’ve been working hard during disruption to get through each day while developing your new projects which… Continue reading Prepare for long-term growth after disruption
Anticipate threats to your business development
Welcome back to the next stage for helping your business to continue to thrive after disruption. By now, I hope that you’ve planted the seedlings which represent your new ways for moving your business forward post-disruption. This week, it’s time to nurture them with care to give them the greatest chance for success. This means… Continue reading Anticipate threats to your business development
Master the narrative for your business with PR
PR is a fundamental element in Marketing Communications planning. It’s all about reputation management and is a chance to spread your message in the media. All coverage affects what people think and say about you. Flies tend to have a poor reputation, known for spreading disease, but it might soon be time to reconsider the… Continue reading Master the narrative for your business with PR
Keep it Quiet
How to improve your marketing when your small business is cash-strapped and time poor If you’re short of time and money, don’t give up on marketing. Marketing is often confused with making a lot of noise. That is a trap which you might fall into if you think that you need to establish a presence… Continue reading Keep it Quiet
How to take time out without your business suffering
The Christmas break will have been hectic yet restful for most of my readers, but as the New Year begins, how can you extract full value from the recent period of business inactivity? Hedgehogs provide an excellent model for how to take time out, when it is necessary. Are there lessons which a marketer can… Continue reading How to take time out without your business suffering
How flexible should I be? A guide for independent service providers
This week I have been preparing ongoing contracts for several of my clients. I have been eager to tailor my offering to each one’s individual needs, to be certain to truly deliver customer satisfaction in the long run. This activity has led me to ask myself questions. As a service provider, what is my product?… Continue reading How flexible should I be? A guide for independent service providers
How to defend your territory
At the start of this week, I heard that a competitor had approached a client which I am currently developing for my own business. I heard about this when I was already considering a festive blogpost about robins. Robins are extremely territorial birds. The sole purpose of a robin’s red breast is in territory defence.… Continue reading How to defend your territory
Is Black Friday an opportunity or a threat?
If you’re like me, you may have been overwhelmed by the amount of email traffic which is generated during November in response to the sales tactics of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Cyber week. Do you wonder how to react, or do you consider joining the discounting frenzy? I strongly advise my clients not to… Continue reading Is Black Friday an opportunity or a threat?
Finding Customers: 3 Lessons from Penguins
Small businesses can learn from the rituals of penguins: Courtship varies among penguin species, and it generally begins with males who initiate the ritual. LESSON 1: Take time at the outset to get the right product. Male penguins of most species know that their desired mate will care most about the suitability of his chosen… Continue reading Finding Customers: 3 Lessons from Penguins